If you could have one Big boolit semi - .458 Socom or M1 garrand ?

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wacki

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Apparently the .458 Socom has the same power as the 30-06. I'm considering the .458 Socom over the .50 Beowulf because the ability to use unaltered mags and resistance to ".50 cal bans". Which would you rather have an why? I'm trying to decide between the two. I already have an AR lower so price difference isn't much of an issue. If you have other suggestions please feel free to post. With enough pushing and supported reasoning I might consider the .499 or some other round. But I'd like to keep the discussion to sub $1K semi-auto big boolit guns & uppers.
 
I'd pick the Garand, but depending on what it was for, the .458 might work too.

It might have dried up lately, but it wasn't too long ago Greek M2 ball was pretty cheap, and CMP can hook you up with a Garand for a lot less than you'll probably find an AR in .458 SOCOM for.
 
Cheaper ammo, more commonly available ammo, well proven action,good enough for more jobs.

Garand makes a good argument for itself.
 
Your post asks an entirely different question from the title. The title asks .458 soccom or garand. Your post asks .458 soccom or .50 beowulf.

The answer is .50 beowulf, in my view, to the 2nd question. I'm pretty sure you have it backwards on the mags. The .50 beowulf does NOT require altered mags; whereas the .458 soccom, IIRC, IINM, DOES require different/altered mags.

To the first, the Garand ain't a big bore, but I'd get the Garand over the .458 soccom upper. Garand vs. .50 beowulf would be a tougher call.
 
The .50 beowulf does NOT require altered mags; whereas the .458 soccom, IIRC, IINM, DOES require different/altered mags.
Click to expand...

i think it does. Remember that they use pretty much the same case (extended .50AE) just the .458 is necked down. On these, i like the socom. personal preferance.
 
Actually, I'd choose the SOCOM. I prefer the AR15 platform to the Garand for actual carryin' and usin' by a good margin.
 
.458 does not require different mags. 10 rnds of .458 fits nicley into a standard usgi 30rnd mag.

That said, i was looking into this a few days ago, and at 50+ for a box of 20rnd, id go for the garand. Plus, they will be gone eventually, where as the AR isnt going anywhere.
 
I don't have any personal experience with these big-bore AR cartridges, but I would think that they kick at least a little more than a .30-'06 Springfield M1 Garand. The weight of ammo would be another huge difference.
 
Depends on your use.
If you want it for hunting, I'd pick the SOCOM.(the M1 has a lot more range, but if you plan on shooting game at distances over 150 yards, the M1 is the wrong rifle anyhow. (yes its accurate well beyond that, but its difficult to scope, and the iron sights are difficult to use in low light.
If you want it for target shooting, I'd take a AR-15 in .223.
If you want it just because its cool, the M1 wins.

I have an M1 and really love it, but its more hassles than other rifles I own- needing special ammo or handloads is the biggest.
 
I saw a pair of guys at the range one day who had one of these monsters. It was kind of aggrivating. they were shooting it on the 25 yd range and could barely hit the paper with it. meanwhile they were giggling like 8 yr old girls to each other between shots and bragging about how each pull of the trigger cost so many dollars.

I think they fired it a total of 8 times in the half hour to 45 minutes they were there..
 
.30-06 ammo is infinitely easier to find than .458 SOCOM, but keep in mind that the M1 Garand should only be fed rounds loaded to M2 Ball specs. You run the risk of bending the op-rod by feeding it commercial ammo.

FWIW, Hornady has a new metch load specifically designed for the Garand.
 
Zundfolge beat me to it. (Plus I couldn't remember the manufacturer or link.) But that would be my choice, but price would be a concern. I just prefer the look of Walnut and blue over EBR and plastic.

Wyman
 
I shoot a .50 Beowulf, a little recoil, but very accurate out to 100 yards which is what I linit myself to. You need to reload to make it affordable to shoot but other than that it (and the .458 Socom) are fine rounds for their job.

But trying to decide between a big bore AR and a Garand is a bit of a stretch to me, they are so different I can't really make a comparison. If it was going to be only one of them to do everything I'd go Garand though, I do love the '06 round.
 
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